Hair drying apparatus



Oct. 21, 1941. c. HUNSICKER 2,259,749

HAIR DRYING APPARATUS Filed April 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l mvamqfi I C/g/a' Z l'funs/cer ATTORNEY FIIE E 1941. c. 1.. HUNSICKER HAIR DRYING APPARATUS Filed April 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR G/yae Lfiunsicker ATI'ORNEY Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mm name APPARATUS Clyde 1.. Hunsicker, s... Francisco, can. Application April :4, mo. Serial No. 269,811

'8 Claims.

hair drying apparatus having means for absorbing moisture from the drying air, and having a novel arrangement whereby the moisture absorbing means is automatically re-cycled, as the apparatus is used.

Additional objects of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, illustrating hair drying apparatus incorporating the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional detail, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 33 oi Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional detail taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detail taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

The present invention makes use of a blower or fan for delivering air upon the head of a subject. The drying action is made more rapid by absorption of moisture from the air, thereby increasing the capacity of the drying air to absorb moisture.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a conventional form of blower i0, connected to an air distributor II. This distributor generally surrounds the head of a subject, and may be helmet shaped or otherwise designed to direct the air upon the head. The air is heated by suitable means such as an electrical heating element 12, carried within the conduit 13 which connects the blower Ill with the distributor ll.

Instead of drawing air into the blower Ill directly from the atmosphere, the intake of the blower is connected to the distributor valve l4,

and this valve is in turn connected to the moisture absorbing units Ito and l6b. These moisture absorbing units Ilia and 16b may be formed substantially in accordance with the disclosure of my co-pending application Serial No. 231,884, filed Sept. 27, 1938. Briefly the units consist of elongated conduits ll, alongside oi which there are suitable electrical heating elements "a and llb. Suitable heat insulating material, such as asbestos packing l9, may surround the conduits "and the heating elements Na and llb, and

this packing is in turn enclosed by the outer housing or shell 2|. The interior 01 each conduit i1 is tilled with a porousmedium 22 capable of absorbing moisture irom the atmosphere. As disclosed in my aforesaid co-pending application, Serial No. 231,884, the porous medium preferably consists of fragments of asbestos saturated with calcium chloride, and interspersed in glass wool or a like medium.-

The distributing valve 14 may vary as to structural details, but in this instance it consists of a body 24 having a cylindrical bore 26. The body 24 is attached directly to one side of the blower l0, so that the intake of the blower is directly I connected with the cylindrical bore 26. The valve body is also formed to provide the passages 21a and 21b, which connect with the upper ends of the conduits l1, and with the two vents or ports 28. Extending through the valve body there is a rotatable shaft 29, and this shaft carries the rotatable valve member 8i. Segments 32 and 33 forming a part of this valve member, operate in close proximity with the inner periphery of the bore 28, to control flow of air through the passages 2la and 21b. Segment 32 is provided with a recess 24, and in the position oi. the valve member illustrated in Fig. 4, this recess is in communication with duct 28, thus establishing communication betweenduct 28 and the passage 21a. Also for the positioning of the parts illustrated in Fig. 4, passage 2'") is in communication with the interior of bore 26, and thus with the intake of the blower Ill. When the'valve member ll is turned in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 4, to bring segment 32 into a corresponding position with respect to passage 21b, this passage is placed in communication with duct 28, while passage 21a is placed in communication with the intake of blower 10.

As shown in Fig. 2 an operating handle 36 is attached to the iorward end oi shaft 28. Also the forward end oi the valve body 24 carries an electrical switching mechanism 31. This switching mechanism may vary as to details of construction, but in the instance illustrated it consists oi an' insulating disc 38, mounted upon the shaft 2!. A contact blade 28 is mounted upon disc 38 and cooperates with two pairs of contacts 4| and 42. These contacts are carried by a suitable insulated mounting 43, which in turn is secured to the'end of the valve body II. The a parts just described are shown enclosed within a suitable housing 44. The contacts 4| and 42 are connected in series with the heating elements its and lib, so that each set of contacts, when closed by the blade 28, supplies current to its 1 the other current supply conductor 2 is connected to one of the contacts 42, and also one 01' the contacts 4|. Conductor 3 connects the other one of the contacts 4| with the other one of the terminals 45, and a similar conductor 4 connects the other one of the contacts 42, with one of the terminals 46 for heating element ltb. The other one of the terminals 46 connects with a current supply conductor I.

For the one operating position of the handle 35 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, the contacts H are closed and current is supplied to the heating element lfla. This serves to supply heat to the one moisture absorbing unit lta, while the other unit l6b is placed in communication with the intake of the blower l0. Now assuming that-the blower is placed in operation, air is drawn through the moisture absorbing unit lib and discharged as warm dry air by the blower l0. During such operation of the machine the unit its is being heated, and this heat drives out moisture, which may vent in the form of vapor from the lower end of the heat absorbing unit, and also upwardly through the passage 21a, recess 34, and port 28. At the end of this drying cycle, current supply to the entire machine is interrupted. At the commencement of the next drying cycle, the

.operator turns the handle 36 to its other operating position, and this serves to vent the passage Z'Ibto the atmospere through recess 34, while pasasge 21a and unit l6a are placed in communication with the intake of the blower l0. Also contacts 42 are closed to supply current to the heating element l8b. Thus during this next drying cycle air is drawn through the regenerated moisture absorbing unit 16a, while the unit lib is being heated for the purpose oi driving ofi moisture.

Due to the ability oi my machine to absorb previously pointed out a heat absorbing unit while not in use is drying cycle.

I claim: a

1. In hair drying apparatus, at least two vertically disposed moisture-absorbing units, each unit comprising a conduit for passage of air and moisture-absorbing materials within the conduit adapted to be dried by application of heat, electrical heating means associated with both said units, and serving to heat said units when energized, an air blower, valve means for controlling communication between said units and said blower, said valve means having at least two openings therein for establishing communication between said blower and said units respectively, said valve being regenerated for the next means also having passage means formed therein for establishing communication from either of said units to the atmosphere, said valve means having one position in which one oi." said openings establishes communication between said blower and one of said units and said passage means vents the other of said units to atmosphere, and said valve means having a second position in which the other of said openings establishes communication between said blower and said unit and said passage means vents said one unit to the atmosphere, electrical switching means for controlling flow of current through said electrical heating elements, whereby either one of said elements can be electrically heated, and a common operating member for operating said valve means and said switching means.

2. In hair drying apparatus, at least two vertically disposed moisture-absorbing units, each unit comprising a conduit for passage of air and moisture-absorbing material within the conduit adapted to be dried by application of heat, the lower ends of said units being open to the atmosphere, electrical heating elements associated with both said units, eachelement being in direct heat conducting relationship with the moisture absorbing material of the associated unit, an air blower, rotary valve means serving to establish communication between the upper ends of said units and said blower, said valve means having two symmetrically disposed openings therein for establishing communication between said blower and said units respectively, said valve means also having a passage formed therein between said openings for establishing communication from either of said units to the atmosphere, said valve means having one position in which one oi said openings establishes communication between said blower and one of said units and said passage vents the other of said units to atmosphere and said valve means having a second position in which the other of munication between said units and said blower,

said valve means comprising a casing having respective passages communicating with said units and a pair of opposite apertures open to the atmosphere, said valve means also including a cylindrical valve member communicating at one end with said blower and having symmetrically disposed openings in the side walls thereof and a recess formed in the wall thereof intermediate said openings, said valve means having one position in which one of said openings stablishes communication between said blower and the passage to one of said units and said recess connects the other passage with one oi said apertures to vent the other of said units to atmosphere, and said valve means having a second position in which the other oi! said openings establishes communication between said blower and the passage to the said other unit and said recess connects the said one passage to the other of said apertures to vent said one unit to the atmosphere, and an operating member for said valve means.

CLYDE L. HUNSICKER. 

